Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-12-10
ro.,m ..,.r o.u.r.,.. n..o,,.

rostm sster Generals Report.
WAsHIHGTos. Dsc 6.--Ths following e..
tracts are from the p. n. Genral's report;
"rhs expectation Of growth and improve
ment In the affairs Of the postal service In
dulged In previous reports. has bean realized
during the past year In part arising from
an extension OF the limits Of mailahls mat
ter Of the fourth class ordered to meet the
requirements OF trade, and from the receipts
Of the special delivery service. but chiefly
from tho greater employment Of oil postal
facilities consequent upon the rising business
prosperity OF the country. faithfully re-
Elected In the postal service, the revenues
have gained upon the preceding year by
nearly "a, SO, QUO, attaining height never
reached before, despite the restrictive oper-
alton OF various reductions In the rates Of
postage. Upon the other hand, the study Of
economy has not bsen without effect in re-
straining the necessarily rising scale of
expenditure. 50 that the increase OF cash
disbursements has but little overstsppsd 50,
O00,UOO.
Thus tia deficiency charged upon the
general treasury, which two years since was
round seven millions ana year ago but
about seventy thousand less, has boon re-
auced almost thres-Sevsaths, while the fair
argury from our preset circumstances
gives hope that during the current year it
win nearly If not entirely disappear. II
there shall remain at tho years end any ex-
cess of cash expenditure above receipts, ID
cannot but be much less than the hostages
upon the mail matter OF the government
itself, estimated to be at least two millions
annually, and reasonably its debt 20 the
postal service, 1t may, therefore, be fairly
affirmed that from the beginning OF the
current fiscal year tie postal service has
again become substantially ssle-sustalning;
and the prediction be ventured that il the
revenues be not further crippled, and only
a similar ratio Of increasing expenditure be
held, the next fiscal year will yield sur
plus, which should under the same condi-
tions annually increase.
'.The total number of postoficss of all
classes on the ISL day Of July, 1887, stood at
| s. l57, besides which there were also 6l3
branch offices or stations. OF the branch
offices, all auxiliary to the postofilces in the
larger cities, 45S are stations for the sale of
stamps and stamped paper only, maintained
at small cost; II others are also registration
offices; IS more are both registry and money
| order stations beside; and 10 more are car.
rier stations in addition, except that six OF
them do no money order business The car
rier stations are generally postofflces in all
but name, having a superintendent, rented
| apartments, and suitable sllowancas
ITO bring the general figures up to a
| more recent date, thu whole number of post
| offices on the lst day Of October had become
| IS, 434, of which ASH were salaried or presi-
Dental offices, distributed in classes and So,
| 053 were fourth class. Besides these were
| Us branch offices or stations, an increase of
| ~ for the sale Of stamps only. OF the whole
| 60s9 were money order Offices and ITO
| money order stations.
or its money order service, Mr.. Villas
snys: "Ths money order service continued
| to increase in volume during the past year,
the amount in the aggregate OF domestic
orders issued reaching 81 IL, 462. $50. SO, and
| Of international orders 81, 49, $50. 81 .. per
| centum of increase oyer the preceding year
| in domestic orders. and IS. Sc per cent. in
foreign. The aggregate of postal notes is
| sued was ],76S, S24 81, and increase of but
| $50, Sl476. The reduction OF the fee from
| to cents for domestic money orders not
| exceeding SIS, pursuant to the recommended
| ton Of two years ago, has operated to in-
| crease tho use of this service to the re-
| nitters of small sums in a noticeable degree
| The average amount of each order issued
1 last year was but sl2 70 as against an aver
age Of $14 SO in 1856, and larger sums in
| previous years. This is also indicated by
the increase OF 10 ~ per cent. in the num-
Der Of orders issued, and by the small in
crease in the use of posta. notes. In like
manner, the reduction of tho fee for foreign
orders operated an enlarged use Of them,
amounting to PATTI per cent. in number.
| Complaints of improper payments of money
orders numbered only forty-seven for the
year, or one to each 194, 459 orders paid OF
these a portion was recovered, Others were
shown to have been correctly paid, and but
mere trifle, by comparison, resulted IL
loss to postmasters or the government
On this subject the report says: "The
railway mail service, its extent, increase,
changes, operations and conditions, pre-
sented in the report Of the general superin-
tendent, shows that at the close of the fiscal
year thers were 913 lines Of railway post
offices, an increase of AZ, extending over
ll6 619 IL miles of railroad, an increase Of
| 1885, -; the clerks in the service numbered
1885,, an increase Of 278 the total daily dis
lance run by clerks was 80, 958. So miles, or
increase of 7,2l33s The entire miles oil
service performed by clerks in crews was
lO7,067, 6AS, gain OF 6,l43, 1888 over the pre-
ceding year. These clerks handled 1884,
e90,S75 pieces of ordinary mail matter
sos, 1853, 400 more than In the previous year
In railroad transportation there was an adj
tlitional employment of 7,0l6 miles of ne WHY
built roads, the incres.,ed cost of which, no
yet entirely adjusted, is estimated to b.
1904, ,66. Al. q
"Unhappily the casSalties to clerks ii
their perilous service were more numerou
and distressing. Five were killed by acct
dents while on duty, forty five were seri
ously and seventy-two slightly injured
Fifty were disabled to such extent that thei
places were filed for time by acting clerk
at the departments cost. In this connection
again urge the suggestions in my repor
for 1855, that some provisions be made TO
these servants Of the government who ar
seriously MANNED or permanently disabled
in a service which puts them to such risks o
life and limb. II the promise were hopeful
the argument might be well enlarged upon
The man who shall bring this deserving
subject SO effectively to the favor of con
gress as to secure the enactment Of suitabl
legislation will earn for his benevolence ant
service the grateful homage of a faithful
body Of public servants and a monument Il
| tho haarta of all right failing manila